Because heat (and therefore cooking) destroys their vitamins, minerals or even fatty acids essential for the body, certain foods are better for your health when they are eaten raw, and this is our nutritionist who says so.
If cooking has the advantage of destroy germs and bacteria potentially present in food, soften fibers and activate certain micronutrients – mainly lycopene and carotenoids – it can also alter the nutritional value of foods. THE most sensitive vitaminscertain minerals, fatty acids and prebiotics disappear then under the effect of heat, depriving us of their benefits. “Vitamins in particular are very vulnerable to heat: those of group Bfor which the loss can be up to 50% and vitamin C for which heat destruction can reach 60% contributions, explains Florence Foucaut, dietician-nutritionist. For minerals, the loss is 20 to 30%. Finally, certain prebiotics and essential fatty acids, such as omega-3only moderately appreciate high temperatures“.
Lemon juice rather than tart
Particularly sensitive to heat and light, vitamin C, with immunostimulating and toning properties, and which promotes the absorption of iron by the body, is a very fragile nutrient. It is therefore better to consume raw all those which are rich in it. This is the case for citrus fruits which are lemon, grapefruit, clementine or even citron : if they are delicious in a tart or cake, it is preferable to consume them as is, in juice or in fruit salad. Same for the Red fruits (raspberries, blackcurrants, strawberries, etc.) as well as guava.
Spinach: in salad rather than in cream
Rich in vitamin B9, spinach should be eaten raw rather than cooked because it is an immunostimulating vitamin (essential for pregnant women or those planning to have children) only appreciates heat moderately. When raw, spinach provides 207 μg of vitamin B9 per 100 g compared to 62.7 μg/100 g when cooked. It is also the same for the Red bell pepper : raw, it contains 81.8% vitamin B9, a content which drops to 11% when this vegetable is cooked.
Broccoli to chew rather than in the pan
“Not only is this green vegetable a source of heat-sensitive vitamin C, but it contains a powerful antioxidant substance, sulforaphane which disappears during too intense or prolonged cookingspecifies Florence Foucaut. However, it has proven anti-cancer properties, particularly against oral, breast and brain cancers, of which it would be a shame to deprive ourselves“. Ideally, it is better to eat it raw, in salads, or quickly snacked in a pan.
Raw garlic in salad rather than fried
There cooking garlic destroyed a essential enzyme to the formation of theallicina sulfur compound excellent for cardiovascular health since it thins the blood –preventing the formation of clots blood-, it lowers blood pressure and it reduces bad cholesterol levels. It even opposes the proliferation of cancer cells. To benefit from its virtues, it is better to consume it finely sliced raw in salads and cold sauces. If you want to include it in your simmered dishes, it is better to add it at the very end of cooking so as not to alter its benefits too much. Please note: it is necessary to squeeze the garlic and crush it (to activate the formation of protective compounds), remove the germ (otherwise it is difficult to digest) before adding it to your dishes.
Cocoa: in beans rather than tablets
THE raw cocoa (the cocoa beans are heated to 70° max, compared to 180° for “traditional” chocolate) contains an astronomical quantity of antioxidants, in particular those from the family of flavonoids. According to ORAC tests, it contains five times more of these valuable substances than black tea, three times more than dark chocolate, acai berries and green tea and twice as much as red wine! A wealth that makes this gourmet food a godsend for our health: its consumption would help us both protect against cardiovascular disorders, the development of certain cancers and neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s…). It is also a food very rich in minerals, much more than its cooked counterpart. According to the Food Observatory, 100 g of raw chocolate provides 450 mg of magnesium compared to 206 mg/100 g for dark chocolate with 70% cocoa.
Pepper rather at the end of cooking than at the beginning
Not only do the aromas of spices enhance our dishes, but they contain active ingredients that improve our health. Thus, pepper promotes digestion, ginger calms nausea, cinnamon strengthens our immune defenses, turmeric has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, while saffron fights against dark thoughts. But heat tends to destroy their active ingredients…and to alter their tastes. To benefit from both their health benefits and their flavor, it is better add them to cold dishes or at the very end of cooking and not from the start of cooking when the dish begins to simmer.
Rapeseed or walnut oil: never for cooking!
Omega-3 fatty acids are called “essential” because our body cannot synthesize them. They have anti-inflammatory properties, participate in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, prevent depression… Only, they are very sensitive to heat. “To avoid losing these precious fatty acids, it is recommended to consume raw the oils that contain the mostas rapeseed, walnut, flax and camelina oils. For example: in a vinaigrette, in mayonnaise or drizzled on a pasta or fish dish.” Along the same lines, fish rich in omega-3 (salmon, tuna, mackerel, etc.) must be cooked gently: steamed, in foil, in a bain-marie, poached or in a marinade “to limit the loss of these fatty acids“.
Thanks to Florence Foucaut, dietician-nutritionist.